Healthy Zucchini Brownies

Alright, dont freak out yet. You know you are intrigued! Everyone nowadays is looking for a way to make their junk food healthier. And that includes brownies. Now for me, Im not a big brownie fan. I eat them from time to time but I dont seek them out. Recently I was on the mighty facebook talking with some friends about food and one of them recommended a site for healthy zucchini brownies that she swore were delicious. To check out the ladys site click here. About a week went by and one lady tried them and loved them. She posted on my wall what she did and how well she liked them. So I decided I ought to jump on the bandwagon and try them. So I hauled myself off my comfy couch ( it was the week after the kids spring break) and head to the grocery store for the items necessary to complete the recipe. And now without further ado I give you a healthier version of brownies!

Recipe:
2 eggs
1T vanilla extract ( I used my own homemade)*
1/4c applesauce
3/4c agave nectar (although others have used honey instead or 1c regular sugar)**
1/4t salt
1c whole wheat flour***
1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2t baking soda
1t cinnamon
1/4t ground cardamom (it has been suggested to use a chili powder instead)****
2c grated zucchini
1 1/2c semi sweet chocolate chips (I used abot 3/4c and it might be too much)
1/2c chopped nuts (not in original recipe)

*I make my own vanilla extract

**Agave nectar is a sugar substitute. I prefer this sweetener. It is not quite as sweet as honey and I do not like honey. Some of my friends have begged to differ and believe honey is better for you and tastes better. So use what you prefer.

*** This recipe called for Whole Wheat flour. This is not something I typically keep in the house. But I decided to go with it and use the King Arthur brand. From my limited knowledge of baking and whole wheat flour, when you bake with it you typically need to cut it with white flour so when I saw the white wheat flour I opted for that instead of whole wheat. But use your own judgements.

**** Cardamom is not a typical spice in most peoples cabinets. It happens to be one in mine due to my love of Middle Eastern food. So I wanted to show people what it looked like. I also use a very flavorful cinnamon that is not typically found in grocery stores. I buy Ceylon cinnamon which has a more pronounced flavor. Going back to store bought cinnamon almost feels like a sin now! I highly recommend buying. I get mine from My Spice Sage. You can catch some really good deals from them too!!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together your eggs, vanilla, applesauce, agave, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cardamom. Add in your egg mixture and mix until just combined. Add in your zucchini and chocolate chips and nuts. Pour batter into a small dish, greased.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

The brownies stay super moist due to the high water content in the zucchini. It is tasty. You cannot tell there is zucchini in it for all you veggie haters. It is one of those great veggies that is easy to sneak into sweets. I mean think of zucchini bread! The spices were a nice touch although I am still undecided if I like the cardamom in them. I believe the suggested chili spice would have been a better touch. And I am very glad I added the nuts into the brownies. I need that crunch factor in a brownie to mix up the soft textures. It gives my mouth a break from mush.

Overall I am happy with the result. I do wish I had someone to feed the brownies to and give another opinion on. But I did save my leftover zucchini and froze it so maybe I will make some for my unexpecting visitors!! MUAHAHAHA!! Talk about sneaky..........although if I proclaim this on the web, perhaps my plan is foiled.......much to consider.

Anyways, if you are health conscious or just looking for a way to cut some calories or add some more nutrition into your life or like me just do something different because you can then try this out. You may be pleasantly suprised.

Salmon Croquettes

Today is a day that I felt like a little decadence and sophistication. I am talking of course about the demure fried salmon patty. Oh man talk about delicious! It instantly conjures images of my childhood. I can remember eating then with my Dad on weekends. We would eat salmon patties and fries dipped generously in ketchup and lots of hot sauce. And to this day the smell of that prepackaged salmon makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And with a feeling like that this dish is something I will never abandon despite my feelings of love toward hoity toity foods like lamb chops and my relationship with all kinds of ethnic foods from Asian to Latin to Middle Eastern. This is something I feel is down home southern food at its best. So dont knock it. Try it and see what you think. And yes, I am sure there are TONS of ways I could take this humble inexpensive meal and turn it into something more gourmet. But I won't. It is like messing with a childhood memory and altering it to make it better than it was.

So what is in this dish? The simplest things in the world!!

Recipe:
2 cans salmon (either bones in or out...just make sure if using the ones with bones and skin that  you remove all of that before using....and unless you are in a huge hurry I would recommend bone in)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4c all purpose flour
1/4c cornmeal**
salt and pepper

**the best cornmeal in the world is Hoover's fine white cornmeal. And most people in this part of the state will agree that nothing compares to it. So do yourself a favor and have some shipped to whatever part of the country you are reading this from.

Simply add all the ingredients together and form into balls or patties, depending on personal preference.

Heat a skillet with about 1/4in of oil. You want enough in the pan so its frying and not sauting. You want your heat at about medium-high. Since the salmon is ready to eat you just want a nice brown crust on the outside.

 Flip only once. Drain on a papertowel.

 Add copious amounts of ketchup and Louisiana Hot Sauce which is my personal all time favorite hot sauce. Nothing compares to its flavors.

 Not sit down and enjoy a glimpse into my childhood and hopefully make some memories of your own!!